JULY 14, 2023, HAMPI & BANGALORE: JSW Foundation is hosting Woven Narratives: Indian handlooms as Creative and Cultural Industries, a unique handloom textile exhibition curated by textile designer, writer and curator, Mayank Mansingh Kaul. The Woven Narratives exhibition features selection of artworks from the collections of art patrons Mrs. Sangita Jindal and Devi Art Foundation. This unique exhibition has been conceptualised by the G20 Culture Working Group (CWG), Ministry of Culture, Government of India. The exhibition focuses on CWG’s third priority of Promoting Cultural and Creative Industries & Economy.

The Woven Narratives exhibition is being showcased at Hampi Art Labs in honour of the G20 Sherpa Delegation, G20 Culture Working Group and Ministry of Culture, Government of India visiting JSW Vijayanagar Works and Hampi’s temple town in Karnataka. 

Woven Narratives was formally inaugurated this evening, by the G20 Sherpa of India, Mr Amitabh Kant, along with Mrs Sangita Jindal, Chairperson – JSW Foundation. The exhibition was previewed to the G20 Culture Working Group on 9^th of July 2023.

According to Mrs. Sangita Jindal, Chairperson JSW Foundation, “It is my privilege to present the country’s extraordinary range of fabrics and fashions, patterns and designs, to the G20 delegates and other esteemed visitors. I sincerely hope that these narratives of sustainability help bring us together, establish our deep inter-connections, and weave our hearts and minds to look at a common, prosperous future.”

Amitabh Kant, G20 Sherpa of India, said: “The Indian cultural and creative industries have always made a significant impact on the global creative economy. As the G20 Sherpa of India, I am proud to witness their immense potential. Our presidency is committed to promoting these industries for their national and global economic value. The handloom sector, a vital component of India’s creative economy, holds a prominent position after agriculture. The ‘Woven Narratives’ exhibition, curated by the CWG team, Ministry of Culture, and JSW Foundation, beautifully showcases the diverse materials, processes, and designs of handlooms from regions across our nation. It amplifies the CWG’s campaign, ‘Culture unites all,’ recognizing the resonances and celebrating the dynamic cultural expressions of humanity. Congratulations to all for this remarkable exhibition.”

The exhibition showcases the rich textile tradition of our country, and narrates the stories of global influences and exchanges. Works include Ikats, Brocades, Carpets and Cotton Weaves from across the length and breadth of the country. Both archival textiles and contemporary renditions are on display.  Some of the works from modern and contemporary artists like Monika Correa, Astha Butail and Bappaditya Biswas, amongst other, are also on display

Vijayanagar is home to JSW’s largest steel plant, a developed township, the Inspire Institute of Sport, the OP Jindal Cultural Centre which will house an upcoming weaving school, Kaladham, an International Arts and Cultural Centre, as well as Hampi Art Labs- a contemporary art centre and residency space due to open in early February 2024.

This exhibition and these inaugural events tie in with all of JSW’s cultural initiatives, the JSW Foundation’s UNESCO Award-winning restoration work at Hampi and the group’s larger vision of social betterment and cultural preservation.  The G20 Culture working group is visiting Hampi to discuss the promotion of cultural and creative industries and creative economy.

About Mrs. Sangita Jindal

As Chairperson of the JSW Foundation, Mrs. Sangita Jindal strategizes and oversees social development projects within the JSW Group. The programs at the JSW Foundation span across a wide range of interventions and focus on the holistic development of the girl child. From providing Skill Development opportunities, to empowering woman across India, through health, education and livelihood oriented programs. JSW Foundation also works with the Government of India to devise strategies & programs to eliminate malnutrition in India.

A philanthropist who believes in the transformatory powers of art, Sangita set up The Jindal Arts Centre (1992) at National Center for Performing Art, Mumbai, India which became a hub of interdisciplinary arts activity. She also publishes Art India Magazine which has been a chronicler of record of the Indian Art scene for over two decades.

Her efforts to preserve heritage for future generations led to extensive restoration work at the Hampi temple complex in the southern Indian state of Karnataka & The Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The Hampi Foundation for the work at the Chandramauleshwar Temple and The Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue in Mumbai have both been conferred the UNESCO-Asia Pacific Award for Merit for Cultural Heritage Conservation.

She is an Eisenhower Fellow and is on the Board of Trustees of the World Monuments Fund – India Chapter & an Advisor on the Khoj Board. She has been inducted as a key member of Tate International Council as well as UN Women Business Sector Advisory Council (BSAC). She is a Governing Board Member of Mumbai First: An initiative striving to make the city a better place for life, work, investment and leisure. Sangita was recognized by Vogue India as ‘Heritage Keeper of the Year’ in 2019 in their Women of the Year awards celebration in recognition of her work in the preservation of cultural heritage in India. She also received the Golden Peacock Award for Social and Cultural Leadership 2019. Today the work that Sangita oversees at the JSW Foundation, runs across 9 states in India, and has touched over a million lives.

About JSW Foundation

JSW Foundation is the social development arm of JSW Group, one of India’s leading business houses. It has a long track record and a rich legacy of empowering rural communities to enrich their lives since the last three decades. The Foundation’s focus areas are Education, Health & Nutrition, Skill Development, Rural BPO, Environment & Water, Sports and Art & Heritage. Through a strong field presence, it operates across 33 districts in 14 Indian States with priority on communities around JSW’s plant & port locations. JSW Foundation also reaches out to communities beyond these locations to contribute towards India’s social development in a meaningful way. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Foundation supported various communities & families by providing food and healthcare facilities across all these locations. JSW Foundation’s holistic life-cycle based interventions have positively impacted more than a million underprivileged people across India. It operates two multi-specialty hospitals in Karnataka & Maharashtra with outpatient potential of 100,000 annually. Its educational interventions have positively impacted more than 140,000 under-privileged children in rural locations while its Agriculture, Women SHG & Rural BPO initiatives have created new livelihood sources for more than 16,000 farmers and 10,000 rural women. The Foundation has provided access to sanitation by constructing more than 7500 toilets in rural villages. It has also helped more than 200,000 needy individuals access Government welfare schemes. The foundation has trained over 23000 youth on various skills that lead to their employment or entrepreneurship. 1400 self-help groups with around 16000 rural women are providing access to credit to the poorest of the poor. JSW Foundation’s work in Art & Heritage is focussed on restoring India’s monuments such as Chandramauleshwar Temple in Hampi, Kenneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue in Mumbai among others. These restorations have been recognized globally and won prestigious international awards.